Tom Gaitens, Executive Director of Florida Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA), said that protecting tort reform requires strong leaders who stand up to the well-funded Trial Bar Lobby. Gaitens made his statement in a post on X.
“Protecting Tort Reform requires strong leaders who can stand up to the deep pockets of the Trial Bar Lobby,” said Gaitens.
The Florida Chapter of Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse recently honored Senators Tom Leek and Jay Collins, along with Representative Toby Overdorf, with its Courageous Legislator for Civil Justice Reform award. According to the organization, these legislators have been instrumental in curbing frivolous lawsuits. The group highlighted positive outcomes from the reforms, such as stabilized insurance rates, Florida’s removal from the “Judicial Hellholes” list, and economic gains. FL CALA criticized the Trial Lobby’s significant spending aimed at reversing these achievements and emphasized the billions in lost revenue caused by frivolous lawsuits. The organization warned that repealing the reforms would harm Florida families and pledged to continue educating the public and defending recent civil justice progress.
In an April 16 op-ed, Brewster Bevis, CEO of the Associated Industries of Florida, expressed concerns about efforts in the Florida Legislature to roll back tort reforms. Bevis noted that before reforms passed in 2022 and 2023, Florida was plagued by frivolous lawsuits and inflated damage claims, which increased insurance costs for consumers. He warned that new proposals are an attempt by personal injury lawyers to regain access to inflated profits by reopening litigation loopholes. Bevis concluded that this proposed legislation ultimately benefits trial lawyers at the expense of Floridians.
Florida State Representatives Hillary Cassel and Paula Stark are advancing HB 1551, a bill proposing a “loser pays” standard for attorney’s fees in insurance lawsuits. The bill passed the House Insurance & Banking Subcommittee with a 15-1 vote; Rep. Mike Caruso was the lone dissenter. Caruso argued it could lead to higher costs for consumers instead of reducing premiums. He referenced Governor Ron DeSantis’ announcement that prior insurance reforms have stabilized the market and attracted insurers. The Personal Insurance Federation of Florida and the Florida Chamber of Commerce expressed concerns that HB 1551 could reignite excessive litigation and drive up premiums.
According to Triple-I’s report, Florida’s property and casualty insurance market is stabilizing due to recent legislative reforms aimed at curbing legal system abuse and fraudulent claims. Litigation related to claims has dropped substantially; homeowners’ insurance premiums have leveled off; over 40% of insurers requested rate decreases in 2024; new insurers are entering the market; Citizens Property Insurance Corp., Florida’s insurer of last resort, has reduced its policy count by nearly 40%, lowering taxpayer risk. Reforms have significantly impacted the auto insurance market with a notable drop in auto lawsuits following a ban on assignment of benefits.
Tom Gaitens is not only involved with CALA but also co-owns McDaniel Trading, a Sarasota-based commodities firm. A University of South Florida graduate with extensive experience in business and political advocacy, he previously served as State Director of FreedomWorks.org and founded two grassroots advocacy firms.
